top gear

Reports from the UK that Richard Hamilton continues to recover and that the producer of Top Gear won't continue the series without him.

I've referred to Top Gear a few times in this blog. It's a fabulous program, Jeremy Clarkson is my favourite Tory (look at him snipe at UK Labor today) * and even Mrs VVB likes it.

But I was quite amazed to see the comment thread on the Spin Starts Here, which is in my view Ozblogistan's snark central - not that there's anything wrong with that, it's a dirty job but someone has to do it - with all the positive comments on Top Gear and how many people watch it. I guess I'd made some assumptions about TSSH's regular commentariat, based on the usual topics examined in that particular part of the interwebs, that simply didn't hold true for the bizarro boyos of Top Gear and their singular pursuit of the best fun you can have sitting down. Actually, they're not so bizarro: if there's one thing that makes Top Gear stand out, it's entirely unaffected way that Clarkson, Hamilton and James May relate to each other. In fact, ever since I heard about Hamilton's accident, I'd been thinking how much I like him because (a) he's about 5 metres shorter than Clarkson and May but doesn't let that get in the way, because (b) he's always taking the opposite view to Clarkson on any issue that they're arguing about. It makes for genuinely involving television. And it's about cars!

(*) Look, if I don't win Lotto next weekend, can one of you dedicated readers spot me about $195G? I simply have to have an Audi RS4. I have yet to read a bad review. Even Clarkson couldn't find a fault.